Liquid feeding apparatus



June 23, 1953 D. B. BELL 2,643,103

` LIQUID FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1949 www Patented June 23, Y1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID FEEDING APPARATUS David B. Bell, vLong Beach, Calif.

Application August 1, 1949,"Sera1'No. 107,845 I This invention has to do with .liquid-.feeding apparatus and it is a general object of the invention to provide apparatus for handling .a liquid so that itis effectively fed or distributed into a stream of fluid'carried by a flow line and operates in response to .the pressure in the line to deliver the liquid .at a predetermined rate relative to the volume of flow occurring in the line.

The present invention is applicable, to various installations or uses. However, it is particularly suited for use in connection with a flow line handling gas or conducting a stream of gas, and it handles liquid so that the liquid `is atoxnized and fed into the stream carried by the line to be effectively and rapidly absorbed or distributed in the fluid of thestream.

The invention provides, in combination, a ow line handling a stream of gas or other fluid, a liquid feed connected with the flow line, and means conducting liquid from the feed to the ow line and preferably including an atomizer acting to divide the liquid so that it enters the flow line in a vform to be readily distributed throughout or absorbedV in the fluid carried by thev line. The flow line is preferably equipped with ya .flow control device or fitting dividing the line into a high pressure upstream section and a low pressure downstream section. A pressure line extends from the upstream high pressure section of the flow line to a feed chamber in a closed i vessel which is part of the liquid feed. The closed vessel has a partition establishing the feed chamber separate from a storage chamber and a bleed duct extends from the feed chamber to the storage chamber while a makeup duct eX- tends from the storage chamber to the feed charnber. The liquid feed operates so that liquid carried in the feed chamber .is subject to the pressure communicated from the high pressure upstream section of the flow line and is delivered from the liquid feed in varying Vamounts `according to variations in such pressure. A constant level or head of liquid to be fed is maintained in the feed chamber while a substantial body of such liquid is carried in the storage chamber to make up for the liquid tfed from the feed chamber. v

The atomizer is in a delivery line extending from the liquid feed to the low pressure or downstream sectionof the flow line and it has the `atoinizer coupled init so that the liquid is atomized as it passes from the liquid feed to the flow line. The atomizer involves a vertically disposed atomizing chamber in which there is a standpipe provided alongits length with atomizers or valves 5 Claims. (Cl. 2451-19) subject to individual control or adjustment. As feed ror flow `of liquid varies from the liquidfeed the level of 'the Vliquid to be fed varies in the standpipe and varying numbers of nozzles come into play to spray the liquid into the atomizing chamber. Thesprayed or atomized liquid is conlucted Yfrom the atomizing chamber tothe 'flow ine.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the general character referred to which is simple and inexpensive of construction, which involves few dependable parts and which is such as to operate over extended periods of time with little or no care or attention.

Another object of the' invention is to provide apparatus of the general character referred .to which is free `of delicate or complicated working parts such as floatvmechanisrns or the like. n `llt is another object of the 'present invention to provide apparatus of the general character referred'to which 'is` such that a standard form or' type of construction can be employed in a wide range of applications with but limited change or modification, thus makingy the apparatus widely universal in application.

The various objects and features of my invention will befully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made tothe accompanyingv drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the apparatus of the present invention showing the liquid feed coupled with a sup-ply `reservoir and with a flow linefhaving a control fitting therein and showing the delivery line from the liquid feed extending to the flow line and havingv an atomizer therein. Fig. 2 is anenlarg'ed view of parts shown in Fig. 1, showing part of the liquid feedv in section and showing the `atomizer in section. Fig. 3 is an' enlarged plan -section'taken as indicated by line 3-3'011 Fig. 2.

The apparatus provided by the p-resent invention involves, generally, a flow line A, a liquid feed B, a delivery line'C from the feed B to the flow line, and an atomizer D in the delivery line.

The flow line A vis such as to handle a stream .of fluid, say for instance, gas, and it is preferred that it be Lequipped with a flow control device or fitting Il) which acts to divide the flow line into a high pressure upstream section I l and a low pres- ,suredownstreain section I2. It is to be understood that in practice any suitable flow control vdevice 'such as anrorice fitting, or the like, may

be employed in the line Aas4 the fitting IIJ.A

The liquid feed B is preferably coupled with a supply reservoir R which handles or carries a supply of liquid to be handled by the apparatus. In the case illustrated the liquid feed B may be of the general form and construction which is set forth in detail and which is specifically claimed, per se, in my copending application entitled Apparatus Stabilizing Flow to a Pump, or the Like, Serial Number 764,126, filed July 28, 1947. The particular liquid feed as illustrated in the drawings involves a vertically disposed closed vessel I3 with a partition I4 located between its ends and dividing it into a lower or feed chamber I5 and an upper or storage chamber I6. A pressure line I'I extends from the upstream high pressure section I I of flow line A to the upper portion of the feed chamber l5, and is preferably equipped with a suitable control valve I8. A supply line 20 equip-pcd with a suitable control valve 2| connects the reservoir R with the storage chamber I6 so that liquid from the reservoir may be readily filled into the storage chamber from which it flows through a make-up duct 22 into the feed chamber I5. The make-up duct 22 is -an open ended tube vertically disposed and connected into or through the partition I4 so that it receives liquid from the bottom of the storage chamber I6 and delivers it into the lower end portion of the feed chamber I5, A bleed duct 23 extends through the partition I4 and has a lower end portion in the feed chamber with one or more inlet openings 24. The bleed duct 23 extends into the upper end portion of the storage chamber I6 where its upper end is open into the storage chamber. With the general combination and arrangement of parts just described gas under pressure from line section II enters the upper portion of the feed chamber while liquid from the storage chamber I6 drains into the lower portion of the feed chamber through the make-up duct 22. In practice these factors balance so that the liquid in the feed chamber remains substantially as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It is to be noted that the liquid level in the feed chamber barely covers the upper-most inlet opening 24 in the bleed duct. the feed chamber the duct 24 is uncovered and gas from the upper part of the feed chamber is allowed to escape into the upper end portion of the storage chamber displacing liquid so it flows down through the make-up duct I 6 to ll into the lower portion of the feed chamber. It willpbe apparent that as a result of the construction and arrangement Vjust described the rate of feed or delivery of liquid from the feed chamber through the outlet duct or delivery line 3!) will vary with i" and depend upon the pressure from the high pressure section II of line A. 'I'he delivery line has a feed section 3| extending from the bottom or lower portion of the feed chamber I5 to the atomizer D and has a delivery section 32 extending from the atomizer D to the low pressure section I2 of line A.

In accordance with the invention the atomizer D is coupled in the delivery line 30 to be, in effect, in series therein. In the preferred form of the invention the atomizer D involves, generally," an elongate vertically disposed body 40 forming an atomizing chamber 4I, a standpipe lor riser 42 that extends upwardly into or through the chamber 4I from the lower end portion of the atomizer and a plurality of atomizing devices or nozzle units 43 supplied by or from the standpipe 42 and spaced along the standpipe as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In the case illustrated the body of the atomizer has a cylindrical portion As the liquid level lowers in 4 45 closed by upper and lower ends 46 and 41, respectively. The standpipe 43 enters the lower end 41 and extends vertically upward in or through the body 45.

The spray devices 43 may be any suitable form or type of liquid spraying units suitably connected or coupled in the standpipe 42 as by means of ttings 48. It is preferred that the several atomizing devices 43 be spaced apart about equal distances vertically of the standpipe 43 and in the case illustrated the atomizing devices are adjustable and each is provided with an adjusting stem 50 that extends to the exterior of the body 4D through a suitable packing device 5I. Operating knobs 52 may be provided on the outer ends of the stems as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The delivery section 32 of line 30 extends from the bottom of the atomizer body 40 to the low pressure section I2 of the flow line A. It will be apparent that liquid fed into the standpipe 42 is delivered by the atomizing devices 43 so that it is sprayed or atomized into the chamber 4I and the mist or fog thus formed is allowed to flow or float from the chamber or it may even be drawn to or through the delivery section 32, due to the reduced pressure occurring in the latter, so that it enters the ow line A to be effectively distributed into or absorbed by the fluid flowing therethrough. In the event that the mist condenses within the chamber 4I, such condensate may drain into the delivery section 32. As the rate of delivery of liquid from the feed chamber I5 varies the height of such liquid in the standpipe 42 may vary so that more or less of the spray devices 43 are called into play. It will be apparent that by means of the structure of the present invention the liquid is effectively divided or atomized and it willbe apparent that by employing suitable atomizing devices 43 and by regulating or adjusting them varying actions may be obtained and a wide variety of conditions may be me -Having described only a typical preferred form and appli-cation of my invention, I do not Wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described including, a fiow line having a high pressure section and -a low pressure section, a liquid feed means actuated by pressure from the high pressure section of the flow line, and atomizing means including a standpipe receiving liquid from the feed means and deliveringit atomized to the low pressuresection of the flow line, the feed means including, a closed vessel with a partition establishing a feed chamber and a storage chamber above the feed chamber, a connection from the high pressure section to upper portion of the feed chamber, a bleed duct from the feed chamber to the storage chamber, a make-up duct transferring' liquid from the storage chamber t0 the bottom of the feed chamber, and a delivery line exliendlrlg from the bottom of the feed chamber to the standpipe.

2. Apparatus of the character descr' C ludng, a flow line having a high press-g Sgtion and a low pressure section, a liquid feed means -actuated by pressure from the high pres- .sure section of the flow line, and atomizing means including a standppe receiving liquid from the feed means and delivering it atomized to the low pressure section of the ow line, the feed means including, a closed vessel With a partition establishing a feed chamber and ya storage chamber above the feed chamber, a connection from the high pressure section to the upper portion of the feed chamber, a bleed duct from the feed chamber to the storage chamber, a make-up duct transferring liquid from the storage chamber to the bottom of the feed chamber, the bleed duct receiving fluid from the feed chamber at a point above that at which the make-up duct delivers liquid into the feed chamber, and a delivery line extending from the bottom of the feed chamber, at a point below the make-up duct, to the standpipe.

3. Apparatus of the character described including, a flow line having a high pressure section and a low pressure section, a liquid feed means actuated by pressure from the high pressure section of the flow line, and atomizing means receiving liquid from the feed means and delivering it atomized to the low pressure section of the flow line, the atomizing means including, a vertically disposed body forming an atomizing chamber, and atomizing devices arranged one above the other in the chamber and receiving liquid from the feed and atomizing it into the atomizing chamber.

4. Apparatus of the character described including, a ow line having a high pressure section and a low pressure section, a liquid feed means actuated by pressure from the high pressure `section of the ow line, and atomizing means receiving liquid from the `feed means and delivering it atomized to the low pressure section of the flew line, the feed means including, a closed vessel With a partition establishing a feed chamber and a storage chamber above the feed chamber, a connection from the high pressure section to the feed chamber, a bleed duct from the feed chamber to the storage chamber, and a make-up duct from the storage chamber to the feed chamber, the atomizing means including, a body forming an atomizing chamber, and vertically spaced atomizing devices receiving liquid from the feed and atomizing it into the atomizing chamber.

5, Apparatus of the character described including, a floW line having a high pressure section and a low pressure section, a liquid feed means actuated by pressure from the high pressure section of the flow line, and atomizing means receiving liquid from the feed means and delivering it atomized to the low pressure section of the flow line, the atomizing means including a closed body forming an atomizing chamber, a vertically disposed standpipe in the chamber receiving liquid from its lower end, and a plurality of atomizing devices spaced along the standpipe receiving liquid from the standpipe and atomizing it into the atomizing chamber.

DAVID B. BELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,561,039 Walker Nov. 10, 1925 1,591,331 Linebarger July 6, 1926 2,175,526 Hutchison et al. Oct. 10, 1939 2,203,362 Putnam June 4, 1940 2,261,590 Rutherford et al.- Nov. 4, 1941 2,450,571 Bahnson Apr. 21, 1945 2,455,754 Glover Dec. 7, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Gas Age-Record Mag., vol. 66, No. 22, Nov. 29,1930. 

